Cleveland Browns Not Confident in Shedeur Sanders? NFL Insider Weighs In

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders is in the process of battling his way up the quarterback depth chart. The former Colorado Buffaloes star started and played well in the Browns preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.

Despite this, it appears that the Browns still have more confidence in rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Albert Breer: Browns "More Comfortable" With Dillon Gabriel

Shedeur Sanders Cleveland Browns NFL Starting Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Rookie Kenny Pickett Kevin Stefanksi Eagles — Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated went on Cleveland sports talk radio on 92.3 The Fan. Breer believes the Browns are more comfortable with Gabriel as opposed to Sanders at this point.

“At this point, they would feel more comfortable putting Dillon Gabriel in a regular season game than they would Shedeur Sanders,” Breer said. “That doesn’t mean that can’t change.”

Even with Shedeur’s performance in his preseason outing, Breer says there will have to be more of that before Sanders sees himself rise on the depth chart.

“I don’t think a few throws in a preseason game is going to be the change agent that people want it to be,” Breer said.

For the Browns to be more comfortable with Sanders, he will have to give them a bigger sample size. The Browns clearly thought more highly of Gabriel when they drafted him two rounds before Sanders. Sanders will have to continue to prove throughout training camp and the last two preseason games that he should be higher on the depth chart.

“At this point, they would feel more comfortable putting Dillon Gabriel in a regular season game than they would Shedeur Sanders. That doesn’t mean that can’t change.”

Albert Breer was on 92.3 The Fan discussing the Browns rookie quarterbacks and where the team stands on the… pic.twitter.com/tse5ZBYGLQ
— The Dawgs - A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) August 12, 2025

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Shedeur Sanders Preseason Debut

In Shedeur Sanders’s first NFL action, he went 14/23 for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the Browns 30-10 win over the Panthers. Sanders added another 19 rushing yards on the ground.

Sanders got the start in the game with the injuries to Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett.

The Browns next preseason game is on Saturday, August. 16 on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT and the game will be broadcast on NFL Network.

Shedeur Sanders to Start vs. Eagles?

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media after the Browns joint practice with the Eagles. Stefanski revealed that there is an opportunity for Sanders to start again, depending on how Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett are recovering from their injuries.

“I guess if those guys could not play, yes, and we’re working through that,” Stefanski said. “We were always going to play our young guys a lot in these games, so we’ll see how it shakes out here over the next couple of days.”

The Browns expected starter in Week One of the regular season appears to be Joe Flacco. The 40-year-old Flacco likely won't see much of the field until then. He already has experience in this Kevin Stefanski system from his time in Cleveland in 2023. The other quarterbacks do not.